From The North Grove kitchen: Arugula & Pear Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Dressing

5 days ago
2 min read

This fresh and colourful salad was enjoyed at our 10^th Annual Farm Season Opener! Chef Chris combined seasonally available arugula and green onions, and some favourite fruits, with a sweet and tangy blackberry balsamic dressing. This salad that’s both refreshing and easy to make — a great complement to a summer pasta or any of your BBQ favourites. We hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

Salad

1 lb arugula
1 red bell pepper
2 stalks green onion
2 ripe pears
Cold acidulated water (1 part lemon juice to 9 parts water)
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup whole blackberries

Blackberry Balsamic Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
½ cup blackberries
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 stalks green onion
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Wash the arugula, gently pat dry, and place it in a large salad bowl.
Chop the pears and place them in cold acidulated water (1 part lemon juice to 9 parts water) to prevent browning. Drain before using.
Add the chopped red bell pepper, chopped green onion (green parts), drained pears, whole blackberries, and toasted sesame seeds to the bowl with the arugula.
To prepare the dressing, combine the vegetable oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water, mashed blackberries, Dijon mustard, chopped green onion (white parts), and minced garlic in a blender.
Blend until smooth and well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat.